


there's no surrender (there's no escape)

by lunasasylum



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Gang Violence, IT'S TRUE LOVE, Intimacy, Intimidation, Jeronica, Jeroonica bc i can, One True Pairing, Soulmates, Southside Jeronica, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, Southside Serpent Veronica Lodge, Violence, bc we have to, not domestic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 08:46:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13477884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunasasylum/pseuds/lunasasylum
Summary: // it was a Serpent tattoo, wrapped right across her ankle.// or Veronica is a Serpent & Jughead is confused.





	there's no surrender (there's no escape)

The first time he thought he saw it, he wasn't sure if he was imagining things.

Veronica was adjusting her ankle boots at the end of the empty hall, she was zipping them back up when he saw the ghost of an image on the inside of her right ankle.

She looked up and saw him looking at her, for a few seconds he saw something flash over her face, before she gave him a polite nod and walked away.

Jughead simply shook his head and turned in the other direction. There must be something in the water at Riverdale High because he'd only been back for a few days and he was already seeing things that weren't there.

"There's no possible way..." He muttered to himself, waltzing into his AP Literature class. "None."

―

The second time he saw it, he was more intrigued.

Practice for the River Vixens had ended as Jughead was wandering the halls and Veronica was exiting the locker room. Her hair had fallen from it's ponytail and she was sweating. Her socks had been pushed down and Jughead knew he saw some dark mark on the inside of her ankle again. It was only the top of what looked like a tattoo, but he couldn't tell, not yet.

She scurried off down the hall, faster than he'd ever seen her move was gone.

"A tattoo?"

―

When he finally saw it, for the third time, he was shocked into silence.

Jughead had been exiting school, leaving for his free period when he saw Veronica talking with Toni in the parking. Only, they weren't arguing like he'd expect, they seemed...friendly. Veronica threw her head back in laughter as Toni nodded down to her ankle. 

"How do you cover it up all the time?"

Veronica shrugged absently. "Boots, stockings, makeup. I'm pretty good at keeping it hidden." Pulling a pair of ankle boots out of her bag, Veronica slipped off her knee highs and Jughead gasped so loudly both Toni and Veronica looked up.

It was a Serpent tattoo, wrapped right across her ankle.

"What the hell?"

Veronica's mouth dropped open at the sight of Jughead, then turns back to Toni who just shrugs.

"Don't look at me," Toni nods at Jughead. "I told you to tell him."

Stalking off, she leaves Jughead and Veronica standing alone in the parking lot. And for the first time in his life, he sees Veronica look  _uncomfortable_ , she's actually fidgeting in her socks on the asphalt. She looks so unlike Veronica, he forgets it's her for a second.

"What is that?" He grits, gesturing to her ankle. "That's not..."

Veronica sighs and shakes her head. "But, it is, Jug." Finally meeting his eyes, Veronica confesses, "I'm a Serpent Jughead."

He saw the tattoo clearly on her ankle, heard her confession, but he still couldn't believe. "What, you're what? What the hell? How? When? Do Betty and Archie know?"

Raising her hands slowly, boots sitting on the ground next to her feet, she shushes him. "I'm a Southside Serpent, Jughead." 

* * *

(Jughead's insides are churning.)

* * *

 

"Toni!" Jughead found her serving drinks later at the Whyte Wyrm. "What the hell?" He repeated to her. "You couldn't tell me that Veronica was a Serpent?"

Wiping up the bar, Toni sighed. "Would have believed me if I told you?" Not allowing him to answer, Toni gestured for him to sit at the bar. "Look, I don't know  _why_ she joined the Serpents, but I do know that she was pretty ardent about being a Serpent. I mean," She looked around like Archie or Betty might just appear out of nowhere. "She took care of Hot Dog pretty well, she memorized the laws, she took the knife from the rattlesnake's cage. Jughead, she did the Serpent dance. Very well, I might add."

Jughead groaned into his palms. "I can't believe this. When did this happen?"

"This was before you joined the Serpents, Jug." Toni leaned against the bar. "Probably a few months after she moved into town, before FP got arrested. She's a Serpent, and a loyal one, too."

Still in a state of complete shock, he sat at the bar quietly trying to figure out how he hadn't know that she had joined the Serpents, right under his nose. Sort of.

"Speaking of..." Toni trailed off, tipping her head to Veronica who walked up behind Jughead.

"Hey, Toni. Jughead, can we, can we talk?" Veronica tapped him on the shoulder and when he didn't move, she grabbed his elbow and led him into the backroom. "Okay," She throws her hands up. "Go, I know you have a million questions and I have a few answers."

Sitting on the couch in the back and finally allowed a moment to think, Jughead recognizes the song playing in the bar. He opens his eyes and watches Veronica fold her arms against her chest. His most pressing question wasn't for her, it for himself.

_How in the hell did he miss this?_

When Jughead didn't speak, Veronica folded herself on the couch, pressed on the handle, legs tucked underneath her. "Look, I know that this is a lot to digest. But, you need to know I'm not doing this for the 'aesthetics' or the jacket, Jug. This isn't about you or Archie or Betty or Kevin. This is about me. I've been trying to find a way to tell you without going all 'extreme freak out Jughead edition' on me and trying to start some 'Veronica Lodge Expose Party' or something."

"She said you memorized the laws." Jughead mutters. "What's the third law?"

"A serpent never sheds it's skin." She repeats almost automatically. Then, she realizes what he's saying. "Jughead, I can't. Betty, Archie, Kevin, they'd all freak out."

He only looks at her and she relinquishes quicker than he thought she would. "Okay. But, how? Weatherbee outlawed all Serpent paraphernalia."

"We have a club, the Swords and Serpents club." Jughead reminds her, pushing himself off the couch and onto his feet. "Tomorrow morning, Elvira."

* * *

 

He didn't actually expect her to come. 

She didn't really think she'd make it.

But, she came to school, earlier than she would like to, dressed in a Riverdale High shirt and khaki pants.

"I hope you know, I hate khaki anything." Veronica grumbled, taking a seat at the desk Sweet Pea was currently sitting on top of. She leaned her head against his side, and Jughead openly stared when Sweet Pea patted her head and returned to his phone. It was weird seeing her interact with the other Serpents, it was even more weird to see her being openly affectionate with them.

"Finally decided to slum with us?" Fangs laughed and kicked her ankle with the tattoo lightly. 

Veronica rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I'll have to go shower the grime off after this, of course." Looking up at Jughead, she gives him a smirk.

"Slough off your skin?" Fangs teased.

Jughead almost wanted to smile at her, but bit it back and continued talking with Toni. 

What surprised him most was Veronica's commitment. She was there every single morning, dressed in her Riverdale shirt and khakis. And, of course, she sparked the talk of the school. While she never said she was a Serpent, she also never _denied_ being a Serpent. Rumors spread like wildfire and a lot was being said about Veronica, and her involvement with the Serpents; but the hottest gossip was about her (suspected) romance with Jughead Jones.

They began spending copious amounts of time together, both in and out of school. It began as simply sitting in the same space as each other, so common and plain. But, as they grew more comfortable in the other's presence, and as Jughead realized he could trust her, they went out of their way to be around the other. Jughead would take the longer route to class just to pass by her locker and walk with her for two minutes. Veronica began picking up extra food to share with Jughead in the cafeteria.

Aside from that Veronica immersed herself in the other  Serpents at school. She began eating lunch with the Serpents, hanging around their lockers, walking in with them, and everyone could see the change in demeanor. Veronica was even more bold, if that was possible. She openly stood up for the Serpents, in class, with the other kids, and occasionally with her friends.

She had grown so comfortable around them that she often forgot about her prior engagements. Veronica began cancelling sleepovers and shopping with Betty in favor of spending hours with Toni and Jughead in the library or at the Whyte Wyrm. 

Other portions of her free time was spent with Fangs and Sweet Pea, both teaching and learning school and street smarts.

This eventually started an argument with Archie that turned dark, fast. 

"You can't come out because you're hanging out with Sweet Pea?" Archie scoffed and chuckled. "Ronnie, you've got to be kidding me."

After examining her newly painted dark red nails, Veronica looked up at Archie. "No, I can't come out because I'm  _helping_ Sweet Pea. There's a difference, Archie." She pulled her hair up in a loose ponytail, and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I made a promise, and I'm not going to break it. He needs my help."

Archie rolled his eyes. "With what? What is so important that you have to cancel our date to be with some other guy?"

"He's not some other guy! He's my friend, like Betty and Kevin are my friends. And he has a name." Veronica said indignantly. Rising to her feet, she stood to her full height, even if he was still over half a foot taller than her. Her stare was intimidating enough, and she was not backing down. 

Pointedly look down at her, Archie frowned. "Are you forgetting that they're the same people who came to my house looking for a fight?"

"Because you pulled a gun on them! Did you seriously not expect repercussions?"

Archie scoffed, "So you're siding with them? You're being ridiculous."

"For hanging out with someone who's not you, Betty, or Kevin?"

"For blowing me off for a _thug_ , Ron." 

It was on the tip of her tongue that she was just like him, that she was (or could be) just as much thug as Sweet Pea, that they were (nearly) one in the same, but instead something different came out. "How many times have we had this argument? Over Sweet Pea, or Fangs, or Toni? What is your problem with my friends? What happened to a 'new slate'? Was that only for a few days so you could play nice for Jughead?"

"I don't have a problem with them. I have a problem with you leaving me for them!" Walking away, Archie turned to the window and groaned. "How come you can't just make a decision, Ronnie."

"About what?"

He spun around and faced her. "About who you'd rather be around, because right now and lately, it doesn't seem like it's me. It seems like it's the Serpents."

"Why can't I have both? Why can't I be friends with you and the Serpents?" Veronica exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "You sound like Cheryl, trying to force people to choose sides. This isn't war, Archie."

Archie took a step closer to her. "Why are you even thinking this over?" His voice lowered. "Would you seriously consider picking them over us?"

"Why is there even a 'them' and 'us'?"

"Just stop, Veronica." He walked to the door. "Call me when you make up your mind." Slamming the door behind him, Veronica was left alone in her room. Throwing herself back on her bed, she pulled her pillow over her face and screamed.

She didn't call Archie, not that night or any night after that. Instead, Veronica made up her mind.

Veronica Lodge will not shed her skin. 

* * *

 


End file.
